Holiday Season Phone Scam Identified

Reports have emerged that identify a recent phone scam that involve a caller soliciting on behalf of Calgary firefighters, the Calgary Fire Department and/or causes that firefighter fundraising has supported in the past.

Calgary police have received four reports of people receiving phone calls requesting money on behalf of a firefighter-related charity.

In one instance, the caller asked for donations up to $300 dollars and utilized high-pressure tactics in a likely attempt to acquire personal or financial information. In another case, one person donated $20. All four cases are believed to be frauds.

As a municipal service, the Calgary Fire Department never solicits donations and there are no current fundraising campaigns on behalf of firefighter charities, and none that involve telemarketing.

“It’s unfortunate that fraudsters are targeting citizens during the holiday season and attempting to take advantage of the goodwill that citizens often express towards Calgary firefighters and the Calgary Fire Department,” says Carol Henke, Public Information Officer. “We are working with the Calgary Police Service to track this fraudulent activity and encourage anyone who has been a target of these calls to file an online report at calgary.ca/CPS.”

“If you receive a suspicious phone call that you think may be a scam, we advise that you hang up immediately,” says Henke. “Do not give out any information or money.”

Citizens are encouraged to file an online report about any suspicious phone calls with the Calgary Police Service on its “Report a Crime” page under “Telephone/Email Scams.” This will help the Calgary Police Service to track down fraudulent activity.

• If you have been the victim of a telemarketing or phone fraud, please call the Calgary Police Service non-emergency number at 403-266-1234 to report the crime.

• For any emergencies or crimes-in-progress, always call 9-1-1.

For more information, including tips on avoiding phone fraud, please visit the Calgary Police Service info page at: calgary.ca.